Ive had my c32 a while now and have always thought the suspension was far to stiff it has little to no dampening what so ever and will make sharp banging noises from the suspension if you hit a pot hole or particularly rough patch of road and basically give no dampening! I live in scotland so we have terrible roads some of the worst in europe!
Now this isn't just me being a wuss as ive had cars on coilovers etc before but for a stock Mercedes the ride quality seems terrible im guessing theres a problem with my car as internet reviews suggest it glides over bumps or do other people find the car has very poor dampening?

 

me personally my C55 is very very stiff but it was made to be that way, i think thats normal man.... coulda been a puff review of the car?

 

If its normal then im going to have to sell it as it is simply useless on the roads we have here it drives like a car that's been lowered poorly with bump steer and the inability to soak up rough roads at all!

 

I've always thought the ride was a bit rough but compared to other sports cars I think it does quite well honestly.

Though, when I hit pot holes I wouldn't call it a "bang". Have you had the car looked at to make sure everything is on the up and up? We've got some rough spots out here in California but overall the roads aren't to bad so I don't think I can compare.

 

Literally just had the car pass its yearly mot and the mechanic commented how good the suspension/bushes were. I take it when you guys hit a pot hole it doesn't glide over it? My cars not far off knocking the wind out you....
Thing is i never bought it as a sports car per se I bought it as a fast mercedes i,e luxury, relatively good ride quality etc, I have an evo 8 and a 200sx for my sports cars.

 

I think mine is great. It is certainly set up for performance and is a lot firmer than 95% of other cars. Considering what it can do however I think it is very forgiving on bumps and rough roads especially compared to other performance cars.

 

I drive a clk55 which I would assume has the same suspension as the c55 or c32 and its not as smooth as I thought it would be for a mercedes.

When I bought the car I pictured it having the smoothist/"cadillaic like" ride ever but everytime you hit a bump its a little harsh. Nothing major, coming from a lowered honda previously, but I wish it would handle better for the stiffness of the ride.

That being said, I think what your experiencing is normal and that you should complain to the county about the poor road conditions. hahahaha

 

A bit disappointing tbh as I really like the car but the ride quality is no use for me My evo 8 is stiffer but it absorbs bumps better!
Everyone complains about our roads they are diabolical!

 

If your evo is stiffer but absorbs better, then I would think there is something wrong here. It's stiff but it cannot be like no suspension. If I were you, I would have someone check it again.

 

whenever im in my AMG i feel like im driving in a minefield..... potholes are the enemy haha

 

if you want a luxury cruiser...pick up a regular C-class, E-class, or S-class.

and the C32 stock suspension is no where near stiff or harsh compare to EVO8.

 

OP, I would have your car checked. My C32 has H&R Springs which would make the ride ever firmer and I do feel that the suspension does a good job at dampening. My old car has KW coilovers so I understand what you mean by "loud" noises when hitting objects.

Also, what tires are you running? Some compounds get REALLY hard after time and can be loud as well. A combination of these attributes in your tire can make a great difference. Also, check PSI and let us know what your running.

 

It has brand new falkien ziex ze912s which i bought due to them having a soft sidewall to see if it helps and im running 32 psi all round.
FrankW thats the facts with my c32 I dont want a luxury cruiser but a car with some resemblance of ride quality on anything bar smooth roads would be nice! The problem is im guessing you guys have very smooth roads in America the roads here in Scotland have become so bad that cars with poor ride quality are terrible (the roads were fine a few years ago bud budget cuts have left them in a state). Judging by the comments on here that is the way the car is which imo is terrible for any car never mind a luxury manufacturer I love the interior and the power of the car especially after my asp 178 pulley but the ride is the worst in any car ive ever been in that isnt sitting on coilovers. However there is a few conflicting opinions saying the ride quality is good either you have to smooth roads to know the difference, dont understand what ride quality means or there is something wrong with my car?
I wonder if its possible my shocks and springs are tired? I just dont want to spend the money replacing them for the ride to be basically the same, ive checked my ride heights and the car is sitting perfectly and none of the springs have broken which I know mercs like to do :P

Here is a quote from a uk review when the c32 was launched-
"The C32 displays level of poise that its Bavarian rival cannot match. Where the M3 demands constant attention as it hops and skips its way along the blacktop, the AMG simply gallops on, inspiring an equal mixture of confidence and awe. The vast tyres offer such vast dry road grip that the performance is always accessible and the C32 flatters mistakes like few other cars. The ride is a little firmer than a standard C-class but it could never be described as harsh or even uncomfortable, and it seems a small price to pay for the outstanding body control."

My car is NOTHING like this with regards to ride quality and inspiring confidence! It has a lot of grip ill give it that but the car feels essentially dead you cant feel what its doing, it has bump steer sometimes, the steering is artificially heavy with very little feel compared to the weight, and the way they describe the m3 as "requiring constant attention as it hops and skips on the black top" well that is what my merc is like
It sounds like I dont like the c32 I really do if the ride quality can be sorted it wont be getting sold for a long time!

 

The C32 is not that stiff compared to other small performance cars but that being said I would not want to be hitting pot holes with it. The low profile tires do not help either but you have no choice because you cannot get a 16" rim and a higher profile tire over the C32 brakes.

When shocks wear they get softer and more floaty so the only way this is the problem is if the car is now hitting the bump stops but that would take a lot of travel over a big bump.

I put C55 struts on my C32 and it made it much more stiff but the roads here in southern California are pretty good. In 10 years of driving the C32 I have probably hit 5 pot holes.

 

HA HA HA i would say in scotland you hit on average id say 15-20 pot holes a day and thats with me avoiding the majority of them....

 

If what you say is true, then it would be impossible for you to enjoy any performance car with relatively stiff suspension on the roads you drive on. Test drive a non-AMG Benz without any sport package and see if you feel the same way.

As others have alluded to, the stock C32 suspension shouldn't be THAT harsh. Maybe your expections are unrealistic?

 

It is seriously true the roads are laughable! All i know is my evo copes with them far better than the merc does possibly due to having more suspension travel? My mum has a clk320 and it rides over bumps perfectly!

 

Get a ride in another C32 in town to compare. You may have some suspension issues... bad struts, broken spring.... etc...... GL.

My clk55 rides like a cadillac compared to my wifes old c63 pp car.... her c63 pp rode like a lumber wagon and she sold it for a 550i.